The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-03-10
Che 9aily Bnllstin.
THURSDAY. MAR. 10. 1887.
IN A MONSTERS EMBRACE.
SENSATIONS OF A MAN WHO COTS INTO
THE CLUTCHES OF A DEVIL FISH.


"We were lying about half mile
off the beach at the Barbados, over.
hauling the standing rigging" said
James ellis, able seaman, "when
the mate ordered John Webb, an
apprentice boy, and myself into the
yawl, which had been covered and
brought around to the port side, that
some painting might be done just
abaft the mainmast. TWAS n terri
bly, hot day, with the water very
warm and the men having little
energy. The paint was lowered
down to us, and while l used the
brush the boy held the yawl in posi-
ton. We had been at work for
about quarter of an hour when the
boy suddenly yelled out in alright,
and rs l turned to him lie declared
that he had seen horrible looking
object pass under the boat, and so
on under the ship.
There are plenty of strange crea-
lures floating about in those waters,
and a patch of scaweed will some
times assume u queer shape.
laughed at the boys fears, but at
the same time saw how pale and
frightened he looked.
/" what's wanted below thereT
called the mate as he leaned over
the rail, having heard Webb's cry
of alarm.
IL saw something 60 under
the boat, SIR
"'Oh, you did. Well, if you
bawl out again you'll feel something
60 under your jacket
II began work again, and had
been at it only three or four minutes
when the yawl heaved away from
the ship two or three feet, and al
the same instant the boy screamed
out again. His voice had scarcely
reached my ears when something
flashed before my eyes, something
caught my arm and pulled it dowr
and pinned it fast to my body, ant
in five seconds more l knew what
had happened. A devil fish had
flung one of his arms about me.
Webb was screaming at the top Of
his voice, and as l got q look at hin
l saw that two Of the beasts feelers
: were clutching him. The arm o.
fceler which had reached me pinned
my arm to my side as If in wise
making a clean wrap around my
body, and the extreme end of thu
feelcr crept up along my neck ant
, face. Talk of pain; l never fel
anything like it. The teeth of
+ bulldog couldn't have hurt worse. l
was burning, biting, blisterins
S sensation, as if live coal had beer
laid on the flesh. I added my yell
. to those of Webb, but before an.
one came to the rail 1 was jerked t
my knees in the boat and saw tina
the creatures object was to pull IN
overheard. l heard the boy go dowl
and thrash about, and then three o
| the men came to our assistance.
"The devil fish had outwitted him
self. He had gone under the shil
and fastened to her bottom or keel
and as soon as he began pulling OF
. us he of course pulled the yawl clos
against the ships side. That close,
the gap, and he could not pull II
overheard, although l think h
would have upset the yawl, for w
were both down on her starboar'
side and she was almost on her bean
ends when the men jumped down
They began to cut and slash an(
hack with their knives, and afte
. two or three minutes they had u
free-not of the arms, but of tn
creature. We were hoisted on boar'
bowling and grooming, with tn
feelers still biting, and they had Il
/ be cut from us almost by inches
Webb got it far worse than 1 did, a
he wore thin cotton shirt and wa
barefooted. He was bitten on on
foot, both hands and across til
= breast, and it was long two week
before he was on deck again, hi
. face swelled up until one eye wa
closed, and the poison made me i
for many days. Wherever one of tn
cups or suckers took hold the ski
was entirely taken off, and it SCENE
s as if pins had been stuck in the ra
flesh. A native doctor brought m
some herbs of which to make
D. poultice and, though that relieve
the pain and helped me to get aroun
again, it was months before my fac
was entirely well."-[N New Yor
"a Sun.